The Chadwick Art House and the art of Phil the Forecaster. Life is good ...

Monday, March 14, 2016

1728 Scrub Red Cedar

The sun was getting low in the sky but I love the late afternoon light. It was also a chance to test out my brand new snow shoes. After 50 centimetres of snow in one day, snow shoes were a necessity. Red cedars take a long time to grow and are much older than one might think. These scrub cedars are a lifeline to so many creatures. The blue birds that really should fly south, seem to survive by clustering together for warmth in my Peterson Blue Bird Houses and eating the red cedar berries. The deer are always browsing the lower branches of the red cedars. I have even seen the beavers swimming away with some lower branches.

This red cedar has been well used. The browsing has pushed growth up from around the base. These branches and twigs and low sun angles produced some interesting colours and shadows. The oil paints were surprisingly stiff for it not being overly cold at minus 9 Celsius.
After all, I just wanted to have some fun. I found it difficult to walk backward with the snow shoes on but walking in circles worked just as well. The easel should have had snow shoes as well. It sunk deep into the 50 centimetres of snow while I was perched more on top of the snow pack.

Thank you Sally... yes, quiet and very beautiful and I don't have to leave the property. Those holders are half inch PEX water lines scraps that are zipped tied together, siliconed and mounted to a clamp. Red Green would have used duct tape but that is so 1990. I went top drawer with the zip ties. They cost only my time. The clamps grab on to any easel. :>))

Wikigallery

Search Phil's Blog

Phil the Forecaster - Plein Air

Profile

Phil the Forecaster is a nuclear physicist turned meteorologist but has always been an artist. Phil Chadwick paints mostly "en plein air" in oils. Canoeing, birding and bee keeping round out the passion that Phil has for life and the environment.